Returning to the international stage, the Chinese president has gone out of his way to court European leaders. This should not be misread as a policy shift. Rather, much suggests that there are troubled times ahead.

While Berlin has become more engaged in the region, it still has no clear strategy on how to approach it. Old principles guiding the Germany-China relationship are getting in the way.

Beijing’s siding with Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine has brought about an alignment on China within the transatlantic alliance.

Beijing is furious at what it sees as the emergence of the long-feared US-led coalition to contain China. With the world moving toward an increasingly bipolar order, countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, are likely to feel growing pressure to pick a side.